Football side line marker



Nov. 27, 1951 c. F. vo| z 2,576,321

FOOTBALL SIDE LINE MARKER Filed Nov. 10, 1947 F I6. I. 42

CHARLES I. VOLZ I In /'''L A xzm/ qwm A TTORNEY Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOTBALL SIDE LINE MARKER Charles F. VoIzQ BaItimoI'e, Md. Application'November 10, 1947, Serial No. 784,945

1 Claim. (01. 27s 55) This invention relates to games of the foot- I ball class and more particularly to means employed for retaining the position of the down and "ten yard markers when it becomes necessary to move them when the players approach the side lines or when the sticks are moved inadvertently.

the ground transversely across the field between the side lines. The two goals are designated by posts erected perpendicularly on the end line as noted in the drawings.

The game is played with an egg-shaped ball called a football as is well known. In playing the game, the football is generally carried, thrown or passed, and sometimes kicked with the feet; The game is played with two teams comprising eleven men on each side or team. Each team is the holder of the ball officially in turn, according to the event occurring during the playing of the game. When the team officially holding the football plays, it is encumbent on it to make at least ten yards longitudinal advance towards its opponents goal in the next four consecutive plays, if it can hold the ball that long.

To keep track of this advanced yardage, certain ofiicials or umpires assignedto the game, mark the point of beginning at the first down. This is where the ball starts from in the first play. A long stick having a flag on its upper end and called a down flag is inserted into the ground at this point and is connected to a second similar stick and a flag by a marking chain which separates the flags by ten yards. This second flag stick called the ten yard marker is moved so the chain will become taut when pulled on and the stick is then pressed into the ground at that point and remains there for a predetermined period. Both of these fla s are vertically set up in the ground in the space outside of the playing field, but adjacent to its border line and held in these positions by certain of the game officials; If the'team holding the ball is able to carry the ball any distance towards its opponents goal line and is stopped, then one of the ofiicials locates the down indicator at this point, to show the advance made on this the second down. If the next play increases the distance gained or advanced, the down indicator is then moved to this point to show the gain on the third down. If the next play also increases the distance gained, then the down indicator is moved to that point and the down flag inserted in the ground at that point. If. the sum total of the four downs shows a gainof ten yards or over, measured from the pointwhere thefirst down was marked off, then tion, as soon as the stick it takes the place of or represents is removed. The sticks are removed so they will not be in the way of the players during the'running of play approach them as the plays continue. Otherwise the players in running out of bounds in their vicinity may run into them and receive severe injuries. However the holes marked in the ground cannot be made conspicuous and are often hard to distinguish afterwards. The result is considerable confusion, disputes, uncertainties in the game, as well as rendering decisions by the umpires questionable in too many instances. The holes are also used as a basis from which to designate the advance made during theiour downs or to determine penalty distance. The present method'is therefore unsatisfactory because of this uncertainty andthe opportunity to make serious mistakes. Also it slows up the game appreciably because the holes marked by the stick are always hard tofind by the umpires, because they may be walked on by the players asthey walk over them during the play. Since the holes cannot be distinguished beyond a distance of a fewfeet, they cannot be kept visually under observation when one of the sticks is lifted. In fact their, actual locations ap-- pear different to the majority of the players and the audience watching the game. In other words this phase of the game offers a source of continual trouble to all concerned.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved method for marking off play-off distances on a football field that will avoid one or more of the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method for marking off play-off distances on a football field that will make such distances appreciable and the locations of the markers visually apparent from practically all parts of the field and immediate vicinity.

A further object of the invention is to provide' a new and improved method for marking ofi play-off or penalty distances on a football field in. a convenient, quick and safe manner.

Anv additional object of .the' herein described Figure 3.

invention is to provide a new and improved system of markers for indicating play-off or penal distances on a football field that will be inexpensive to construct, effective in use, easy to handle andmanipulate; and positively identifiable.

An additional object of the present invention.

is to provide an adjunct attachment to be used with the down marker and ten yard' marker flags which will be affixed in theground and have been removed.

Other objects will become apparent as the invention is more fully set forth.

For clearer understanding of the invention, reference is made to the appended drawings, wherein a particular form of the invention is indicated. These drawings with the following description outline the features and principles of the invention, and indicate the basis for the objects. The particular form is employed simply as an example to illustrate the invention and not by way of limitation to the forms that may be indicated thereby, while the claim particularly points the scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the playing field showing the down and ten yard markers fiags positioned on marker plates embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the ten yard marker plate shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the down marker plate shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-'-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a modified form of marker plate with a rubber covering.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the structures shown in the drawings, a down marker plate ll! of metal or other suitable hard material is of circular form, relatively fiat except that its peripheral rim portion I1 is bent round and downwardly. The central portion has a circular depression [I bevelled inwardly at I6 near the upper surface l2 to a conical portion 13 that leads to a pointed or cone-contoured end,

that forms the bottom 14 of the depression. This depression is intended to receive the pointed end of an ofiicial marker or ten yard stick used in football games, and permits it to be held perpendicular to the ground therein. On the underface' of the down plate In below the material forming the depression structure, a short spike or anchor [5 projects at right angles. This spike or anchor 15 sticks into the ground when the down plate Ill is placed on the ground, and" serves to anchor it in that location. The upper face 12 of the plate is formed with embossed arms 18 of a four-pointed star raised on it. Each arm I8 is positioned at right angles to those at its sides. in consecutive arrangement thereon, as shown in This plate is termed the down marker plate, and is used to show the last down that has taken place.

A second plate 2|] called the yard marker plate is similar in size and general form to plate H], has a depression 2!, with bevel 26, conical portion 23 and pointed bottom 24 and spike 22 similar to that of the first or down marker plate. However, the upper surface 82 of this plate 20 is The arms are numbered, 1, 2, 3, and 4 10 left there for future reference when the flags manufacture.

provided with concentric rings 25 to make it conspicuous and distinguishable from the plate l0. Its rim portion 21 is likewise rounded. It also has a spike or anchor 22 underneath.

Both plates are preferably made of aluminum by reason of its color, lightness and ease of However other materials, suitably colored and able to withstand the usage involved could be used, appropriately. The plates are each laid flat on the ground in use, with the anchors I5 and 22 and round rims pressed into the ground. The arrow arms on the top surface of the down marker plate ID are rotated so that the number, (1, 2, 3 and 4) designating the specific sequence of the down" in the play off involved is pointed in the transverse direction towards the playing field.

The 10 yard marker plate 20 having round rings impressed on its upper surface to distinguish it, may be set down flat without regard to any direction that it should point to.

In Figure 1, the diagram of a full football field 40 is shown. 'Its long lateral border lines 4| join the shorter, cross border lines 42 at the end zones 43. The five yard cross lines 44 extend transversely-across the field as shown and are often designated by their values positioned on the 10 yard lines outside of the field, by suitable numbers 46. The use of these numbers is arbitrary as is also their locations from the borders, but they facilitate an understanding of the relative positions of the teams. They are indicated in circles, on the drawings to distinguish them from the regular reference numerals. The distances start from the goal lines as G and reach their maximum values at the center line 41, which is termed the 50-yard line.

The game is started by the selected team kicking the football from the forty yard line. The usual tactics are proceeded with, and eventually the play is stopped, with one of the teams entitled to the football, and a point 49 established from which further play-offs must start. The point 49 from which the football must be started is known as the ffirst down line. The oflicial indicates this line by taking a reference point in the side lines and placing a down marker plate In on it at 5| and the numeral 1 pointed towards the playing field, aligned with the first down. point. From the down plate l0 so located, a, ten-yard measuring chain is run towards the goal to which the'team owning the football is working or playing. The chain is run in the side line space 55 parallel to the side line set out for theteam having the ball, and a point 53 ten-yards away located. A second plate 20 is placed on that point 53. This plate 20 is termed the ten yard plate. A line running from this ten yard! plate transversely across the field indicates the line 52 that the team owning the its original first down location, and placed in the side line space 55 at a point 56 in line with the second downlocation with the numeral 2 pointing towards the field. In this case, it is assumed to be fiveyards ahead towards the opponents goal at 14. If in the next play-off, the

football is carried by the same team to a point 51 located fifteen yards-in the=oppositedirectlon when it is stopped, the down plate I is aligned with it at .58 and the numeral 3 pointed towards the field and the play is called the third down. The same team continues with the football from the point '51 for the fourth down and is assumed to have advanced it twenty-five yards to the point '59. The down plate It is moved to the point 60. This is the result attained by the fourth down, and is more than ten yards advance from the original first down line, which gives the same team the right to repeat the performance, as it still owns the ball. The down plate Ill remains in line with the point 59 and considered the first down in a new series of plays and the down plate Ill is turned to 1. The ten yard plate 20 is likewise relocated ten yards in advance of the point 60 to the location BI and left there for four more downs, if the same team can make them. Should a foul be incurred by this team, say often yards, during any play, then the down plate I0 is pushed back ten yards from the point where that particular down started at that play and away from the opponents goal direction. The down marker in would move back, but the numeral would not be changed. It is the same as if the team made a loss of ten yards for that play.

In the last half the markers are moved to the opposite side of the field having a similar space 55. The plates are located in the side line space at the same place the down and ten yards flags are located, as a matter of convenience and to get them away from the players feet. It is also understood to afiord a placement less subject to misplacement, intentional or otherwise at these locations. The plates are preferably flat so they will not be obstructive, but may be made of a color to make them conspicuous so they can be seen and identified readily.

The particular forms of the plates shown in the drawings, have the following features. They are both preferably circular and fiat with their peripheral rims bent downwardly to dig into the turf or ground of the field or side line space. In the central portion, a circular depression having cylindrically formed walls inside, and pointed to the bottom is adapted to receive and preferably hold onto the end of a conventional marking stick used by ofiicials of the game. This arrangement permits the flags to be lifted up by the stick and carried to various locations during the game and leave the plates in the ground so the flags may be returned to these points as the conditions may require. The entering edge of the depression is bevelled to make it easier for the stick to be centered and inserted therein. A spike termed an anchor projects from the rim to keep each plate in place and from being moved laterally.

The coloring of the plates may also be made to suit any particular conditions that may make them more distinguishable, if desired. The plates may be carried on the end of the marking sticks without any difiiculty, as the structure is preferably light, and can be easily placed in position while thereon, with the least physical effort on the part of the oflicials. When the plates are placed in the ground, the ofiicials may simply press each off with a foot while lifting up the stick in that particular plate.

The plates have the advantage of being easily carried around by officials. They render disputes about locations of the football during the game less liable. They could be used without the sticks. They show up conspicuously on the field, whereas the holes in the ground usually made by sticks 6 were hardly discernible at any time, and frequently could not be found, rendering the decision of the outcome of the game very much in doubt and subject to question. The audience and players at the game, are assured of accurate marking which previously could not be guaranteed, and the ofncials of the game were aware,

. and fiat so they may be easily handled and manipulated and afford any obstruction that might cause them to be easily displaced. In Figure 6 is shown a plate similar to that shown in Figure 4, with a resilient mat I82 added to its face to prevent injury to the player. The mat is provided with concentric rings I25 and a hole in the center. The plate proper is furnished with a circular depression lZi bevelled inwardly at I26 near the upper surface to a conical portion I23 that leads to a pointed or cone-contoured end, that forms the bottom [2d of the depression. The down marker plate Ill may also be furnished with the resilient mat properly marked to show the 4 downs like the illustration shown on the top of Figure 3.

While but two general forms of the invention are shown in the drawings and described in the specification, it is not desired to limit this application for patent to these particular forms or in any other way otherwise than limited by the scope thereof, as it is appreciated that other forms could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

A marker to be used along the longitudinal edges of a football field, consisting of a circular disk having a flat top surface and a short depending centrally arranged stem having a, terminal point whereby the marker may be driven in the ground, said stem having an internal hollow depression therein extending from the top surface of the disk and extending downwardly within the stem to a point considerably below the lower surface of the disk, to provide a space for receiving a stick and holding it therein tightly, said disk having a circular depending rim extending downwardly beyond the lower surface of the disk, the

upper surface of the disk having distinguishing designs thereon, wherein the distinguishing design consists of embossed arms in quadrant formation, each arm terminating in a point at the periphery of the disk and bearing indicia whereby the particular arm pointed towards the field gives a visual indication of the down to be played.

CHARLES F. VOLZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,257,215 Greene Feb. 19, 1918 2,064,745 Harris Dec. 15, 1936 2,076,970 Smith Apr. 13, 1937 

